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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26218012">The beauty of long-distance dinner dates</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrangeNoise/pseuds/StrangeNoise'>StrangeNoise</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Reddie Week 2020 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Eddie Kaspbrak Lives, Eddie Kaspbrak Loves Richie Tozier, First Dates, Fluff, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Post-IT Chapter Two (2019), Pre-Relationship, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Video Chats, soft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 09:35:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,189</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26218012</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrangeNoise/pseuds/StrangeNoise</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Almost a year after defeating Pennywise for good, Richie and Eddie finally feel ready to pursue a relationship. The only problem? They live on opposite ends of the country. But through the marvels of modern technology, everything becomes possible...</p><p> </p><p>Written for day two of Reddie Week 2020. The prompt was "First date"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Reddie Week 2020 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1902409</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Reddie Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The beauty of long-distance dinner dates</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At exactly 7p.m. Eddie started Skype and waited for the small circle next to Richie's icon to turn green. It was exciting and silly at the same time. It had been ages since Eddie had been on an actual date and, sure, this one was going to be a little different since they wouldn't actually meet in person but Eddie still felt giddy like a schoolboy on the day of prom. After those awful days back in Derry, barely getting out of town alive and leaving his wife, Eddie was willing to take whatever good he could get - even if it was a little weird or awkward sometimes. And he was certain that a date with Richie was going to be both good and weird. <br/> <br/>If anyone had told him a year ago that he would be scheduling online video-dates with his childhood crush, Eddie would have probably laughed and then had a panic attack because he didn't even have any idea, who his childhood crush would have been. But the moment he saw Richie at the Jade of the orient on their first night in Derry he remembered with such sudden clarity that it was almost nauseating. He had been determined to just ignore the longing clawing away at the inside of his chest, get through whatever they had to do to defeat the clown, and go back to his wife while being nothing but good friends with Richie.<br/> <br/>But then the other man had all but dragged him to the kissing bridge on their last day in Derry, showed Eddie, where he had carved their initials in the wood when he was just 13 and confessed his undying love for Eddie. It was overwhelming and painfully beautiful and there were a lot of tears on both ends, but at the same time, it changed Eddie's mind on a great many things. Sure, he had a wife back home, but she had never shown love to him in the 15 years of their marriage like Richie had in five minutes at the kissing bridge. For the longest time, Eddie felt selfish for wanting all this love all the time but within a few months and endless hours at therapists’ offices he finally allowed himself to want things and most of all to want to be loved. <br/> <br/>Almost a year had passed since then. It had been two months since Eddie ended things with Myra and by then it had apparently been so obvious it was going to happen that she was more resigned than anything. All the while, Eddie had kept in touch with Richie, promised him that as soon as he had his life in order, he would go out with him no matter what. Richie was understanding like no one in Eddie's life had ever been and that only made him want the other man more. <br/> <br/>And now, finally, he was single and had his own place for the first time since college, and it made Eddie feel more than ready for something new, something beautiful with Richie by his side. <br/>The only problem was that they still lived on opposite ends of the country. Richie had offered many times - first jokingly, then actually meaning it - for Eddie to move in with him, but Eddie had refused every time. Not that he didn't want to move in with Richie, but he didn't want to rush things - and again, Richie just understood, and Eddie loved him just that much more. <br/> <br/> <br/>Suddenly, Eddie's thoughts were interrupted by the distinct sound of an incoming skype-call. He picked up with no hesitation and couldn't stop a bright smile from spreading on his face at the sight of Richie sitting in his usual spot at the kitchen island, wearing a simple black t-shirt instead of one with a crude joke on it for once and smiling just as excitedly at seeing Eddie.<br/> <br/>"I missed you", Eddie blurted out before he could stop himself, but he didn't regret it one bit when Richie's expression only grew softer.<br/> <br/>"I missed you too, man", he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "I wish you were here for real. Nothing against virtual first dates, but I just wanna hug you." <br/> <br/>"Me too", Eddie admitted. It was still unusual to see Richie this vulnerable and open, and he didn't want him to feel awkward about it. Still, he decided to change the subject.<br/> <br/>"Now, speaking of our date: What did you bring for dinner?" <br/> <br/>"Only the most exquisite food for our first date, of course, my dearest", Richie answered without hesitation and the mischievous glint in his eyes told Eddie he had been waiting for this question all day. With a grand gesture, he produced a large plate from off-screen, and Eddie sighed in exasperation when he realized it was spaghetti. <br/> <br/>"Of course that's what you would eat on our first date", he commented with a roll of his eyes and retrieved the massive shrimp salad he had been keeping out of sight until now, "I can't wait to hear all your jokes about eating spaghetti accompanied by that eyebrow-wiggle you do when you think you're extra clever."<br/> <br/>"Damn." Richie laughed for several long moments, and Eddie couldn't help but join in. Richie's laugh was ridiculously contagious.<br/> <br/>"Remind me not to date people, who know all my weird quirks again, Spaghetti", he said eventually, "It gets really embarrassing real fast." <br/> <br/>"Oh, trust me, I don't plan on you dating anyone after me", Eddie quipped, his heart racing in his chest. This was probably way too forward for a first date but, really, this didn't feel like a first date. With Richie, everything felt like it was worn-in and comfortable, and Eddie loved that feeling endlessly. For a bit, he had feared that, despite everything, things would be awkward between them. But it seemed his fears had been unfounded.<br/> <br/>"Oh wow, I got myself a possessive little spaghetti", Richie commented, grinning at him through the camera, and Eddie could feel himself blush deeply. <br/> <br/>"Just shut up and eat, idiot."<br/> <br/>Dinner went by quickly and Eddie had no idea how someone could talk so much and yet finish an entire plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce before he could even get through half of his salad. But he didn't mind because being busy eating meant he could just listen to Richie talk more. Eddie would have never expected to enjoy Richie just rambling on endlessly for any length of time but he quickly rediscovered that once Richie actually let his guard down and stopped turning everything into a joke, he was actually far more entertaining than when he tried to be. At the same time, it felt like a privilege to listen to Richie tell stories about his everyday life and his work and even asking Eddie for advice on some bits for his next special he was working on. By the time they were both done eating, Eddie felt so happy and content in the world he wanted to conserve this moment in a blob of amber.<br/> <br/>They talked for god knows how much longer until Richie suddenly interrupted him to ask a question.</p><p><br/> <br/> <br/>"You wanna watch the sunset together?”<br/><br/>Eddie hesitated for a moment. The world had already gone dark outside his own windows, and it took him a moment to remember that Richie was in a different time zone, where the sun had not yet set. He nodded his agreement, and a moment later, the world on Richie’s end seemed to shift as the other man picked up his laptop and carried it around his house with him.<br/> <br/>“Consider yourself lucky, Spaghetti”, he said as he went, a wide grin spreading on his face, “You get to see my terribly unshaven face up close.” </p><p>“I like your stupid face”, Eddie answered before he could stop to think of a more teasing response, as was probably expected of him. The blush that spread on Richie’s cheeks just a second later was worth making himself vulnerable like this.<br/> <br/>Neither of them said anything as Richie opened the door that led out onto his patio and set the laptop down on a deckchair. While Eddie looked around as much as he could, admiring the pool he could see in the right corner of the screen and the well-maintained shrubs all around, he heard the sound of someone dragging another deckchair over to where the laptop was. He was tempted to comment on the fact that Richie set up a chair for each of them as if Eddie were actually there, but he chose not to. It was sweet seeing Richie so gentle and caring with him, and he didn’t want him to stop because he had somehow made the other man self-conscious about what he was doing. </p><p>“Just in time”, Richie proclaimed as Eddie heard the sound of him flopping down on the chair next to his, and the laptop was turned, so they could see each other again. Behind Richie, the sun was just beginning to set, its remaining light creating a halo around the tall man. Eddie only nodded, taken aback for a moment by how beautiful Richie was and how in love he was. Not that he hadn’t known that before but right now, at this moment where they were somehow impossibly close and yet thousands of miles apart, Eddie felt it with an intensity that made his heart throb almost painfully in his chest. He only nodded at what Richie had said, too choked up for words. <br/> <br/>They sat in silence for a long while, watching the sun set slowly on the horizon and the world around them getting swallowed up by darkness. Eddie could see less and less of Richie, but that didn’t matter an awful lot. Somehow, he could feel the other man’s presence even through the remote connection, and that was enough. He had no idea how it wasn’t awkward or felt uncomfortable after a prolonged silence but maybe that was just how dates went between people, who had known each other for most of their lives. <br/> <br/>Eddie could have gladly sat there for the rest of his life but the three hour time difference was starting to take its toll. At first, Eddie tried to hide his yawns but at some point, they became too obvious.<br/> <br/>“You tired, Eds?”, Richie asked after what was approximately Eddie’s fifth yawn in just under a minute.<br/> <br/>“Don’t call me Eds”, Eddie complained and yawned yet again, “But yeah, I’m tired. I know it’s barely midnight here, but I’m an old man, who needs his beauty sleep.” <br/> <br/>Eddie expected some comment on his age or on how he was several months younger than Richie but instead, the other man was quiet for a moment. Since he couldn’t see his expression, Eddie wondered what Richie was thinking about.<br/> <br/>“Did you enjoy our date? Because I did, and if you were here I’d totally try and kiss you good night right now.” <br/> <br/>“I did”, Eddie answered without hesitation, his heart clenching in his chest as he tried not to let on how stupidly adorable he thought Richie was being right now, “And I would absolutely let you kiss me. Even after you ate all those garlic-y spaghetti” <br/> <br/>Richie laughed and off-screen, a lamp was turned on. Then, the laptop was moved again, and Eddie found himself face to face with Richie once more. <br/> <br/>“I hope we can do this again”, Richie said, and he sounded so sincere Eddie was sure he was going to burst at the seams from all the affection he held towards this man.<br/> <br/>“I have a week off next month…” <br/> <br/>“Oh shit, that’s nowhere near enough time to clean my crack den of a house!” <br/> <br/>They both laughed, but on the inside, Eddie’s heart was racing at the prospect of seeing Richie in person soon. He hadn’t planned to spend his vacation at Richie’s place, but now there really wasn’t anything he’d rather be doing.<br/> </p><p><br/> <br/>“Now go to sleep, spaghetti”, Richie said after a few moments of silence, “I can’t wait to see you next month.” <br/> <br/>Eddie nodded and they said their goodbyes. When the call ended and he closed his laptop, the world around him seemed strangely quiet. It usually did after spending any amount of time with Richie, but this time Eddie felt empty on the inside too. He had never thought he could miss someone so much, and yet here he was. Eddie hadn’t expected the openness and tenderness between Richie and him either but maybe that came with the territory when two people had been pining for one another without even knowing it for almost 30 years. A moment later, Eddie’s phone vibrated in his pocket. His most recent message was a massive heart emoji from Richie. With a silly grin on his face, Eddie sent one back.<br/> <br/>Fifteen minutes later, once he was through with his whole bedtime routine, Eddie climbed into bed. Just before he fell asleep, he set a timer to count down the hours until he would see Richie in person…</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>More fluff from me today :D Hope everyone enjoyed it!<br/>Comments and kudos are much appreciated as always and you can of course say hi on twitter @NoiseStrangest !</p></blockquote></div></div>
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